Causes and Effects of Stress

The kids won’t stop screaming, your boss has been hounding you because you turned a report in late, and you owe the IRS thousands of dollars you don’t have. You’re seriously stressed out.

Stress is actually a normal part of life. At times, it serves a useful purpose. Stress can motivate you to get that promotion at work, or run the last mile of a marathon. But if you don’t get a handle on your stress and it becomes long-term, it can seriously interfere with your job, family life, and health. More than half of Americans say they fight with friends and loved ones because of stress, and more than 70% say they experience real physical and emotional symptoms from it.

Read on to learn why you get stressed out, and how that stress might be affecting your health.